Abdominal supporter or bandage.



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WRIGHT R. CARTLEDGE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO vWALTERF. WARE, OE PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ABDONIINAL SUPPORTER OR BANDAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 26, 1905.

Application filed October 18, 1904. SerialNol 228,923.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WRIGHT R. CARTLnDGn, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Abdominal Supporters orBandages, of which the following is a full, clear, and completedisclosure.

The object of my invention is to provide such a supporter or bandagethat the same may be comfortable to the wearer, efHcient in itsapplication, and more easily and perfectly manufactured than heretoforehas been possible.

Briefly, my invention relates to a band of knit elastric fabric thestitches or courses of which are of two or more kinds and elastic in oneor both directions in relation to the length of the fabric, saidstitches or courses being arranged so as to obviate any objectionableprotuberances, projections, or knots. Heretofore bandl ages orsupporters of this nature have been varied in width by introducing whatare known as darts or loops at different points throughout the body ofthe bandage, while said loops decrease in length toward the outer edgeor selvage, thus bringing the bandage to a point at the center of thefront side. This feature of providing such loops or darts throughout thebody of the bandage I do not claim as my invention, my inventionresiding in certain arrangement of the elastic stitches and the darts orloops hereinafter to be more particularly pointed out.

rPhe stitches or loops preferably employed in the bandage hereindescribed and claimed are those patented by me in my prior United Statespatent, No. 616,524, issued December 27, 1898. However, I do not wish tobe limited to the use of such stitches, as other stitches having thecharacteristics hereinafter pointed out may be used.

For a full, clear, and exact description of this form of my inventionreference may be had to the following specification and to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in whichy Figure l is aperspective view of a bandage or supporter embodying' my improvement.Fig. 2 is a detailed view showing the portion included within thedot-and-dashline 2 2,Fig. l.

In the drawings the numeral l indicates a strip or band composed ofstitches or loops whichare elastic in its width as well as in thedirection of its length, said stitches being preferably those describedand claimed in my prior patent, No. 616,524, above referred to. Thisform of stitches for the portion of the bandage just described not onlyallows of a longitudinal elasticity and length of the bandage, butallows the same to be made a greater width at its central front portionwhen properly stretched, through the medium of stays, (indicated by thenumeral 2,) without the necessity of forming a multiplicity of darts orloops throughout the body of the bandage, such as heretofore has beenthe custom. Such darts or loops throughout the body of the bandage areobjectionable in that the same add to the discomfort of the wearer bycausing increased' thicknesses or knot-like projections, which areimpressed in the flesh of the wearer.

In the manufacture of my improved bandage I first preferably knit thewelt 4 of double width, which is then folded longitudinally and itsedges knit together and into the stitches of the rest of the bandage. Iform then a series of loops or darts of gradually-increasing length, sothat the shortest loops or darts forming the lower point of a triangularportion are preferably elastic in one direction only-that is, only inthe direction of the length of the bandage-while said triangular portionis practically non-elastic in the direction transverse to the length ofthe bandage. To the upper edge of the triangular portion just describedand the double welt e, which are of the same kind of stitch or loop, Iattach or knit the main portion 1 of the bandage, which is preferably ofstitches of the sort disclosed and claimed in my prior patent abovereferred to and which result in a fabric elastic in two directions. Theupper edge of the main portion l is finished in the usual manner.

The manner of knitting the band above described is the usual andpreferable one; but the process may be reversed or practiced in anyother suitable way to produce the same results. The weltlz, which isknitted into the main portion of the fabric and the gusset 3, owing tothe fact that it is less elastic than the other portions of the bandage,relieves the pressure upon the raised darts, thereby also increasingcomfort to the wearer. The

stays or strips and 6 for keeping the beltl stretched to its normalwidth are preferably made of thin aluminium, whalebone, or other strongiiexible material incased in soft flexible coverings, which arepreferably sewed to the outer surface of the bandage. At the ends of thestrip I provide the usual bindings 7, which are provid ed with suitablemeans for lacing the ends together at the back in the usual manner.

The darts above described are preferably composed of two threads orcourses or one continuous thread or course doubled upon itself to formthe loop, said threads or courses thereby giving an increased width tothe material at every point where said darts or loops occur.

A further advantage of the above-described arrangement resides in thefact that the bandage may be knit at one operation without removing thefabric from the knitting-machine, and owing to the parallel courses ofthe main body of the bandage the machine does not have to be stopped inorder to allow the continual insertion of darts throughout the bodythereof. This not only accomplishes a great saving in time of knittingthe fabric, but also increases the strength in the wearing qualities ofthe bandage. A small number of darts which are inserted in forming thewidened portion also permits a considerable saving in the time requiredto weave the bandage.

It will thus be seen that I have produced a bandage or supporter whichis composed of regular elastic stitches throughout the main body of thebandage without the use of darts therein, said stitches providing'elasticity in both directions, while the widened portion of the bandageis formed by stitches which are elastic only in the direction of thelength of the bandage, while the welt attached to both of these portionsprovides asornewhat stronger and tighter strip at the points in thebandage where it is most needed, while at the same time thenumber ofdarts or loops necessary to produce the widened effect are greatlydecreased in number and are located at points where they cause the leastdiscomfort to the wearer.

Suitable supporting devices or fastenings may be attached to thissupporter, as indicated by the numeral 7 lt isobvious that changes maybe made in the arrangement, form, and proportion of parts to adapt thebandages to different uses and different figures of the wearers; and 1do not wish to be understood as being limited to the exact arrangement,form, and proportion of parts herein set forth. Forrexample, thetriangular portion, consisting of loops or darts, may be applied to thetop-of the bandage as well as the bottom if it is necessary to increasethe width upwardly as well as downwardly, or the darts may be applied toany other portion or portions to the. edge, of the bandage where it isnecessary to design the bandage of a particular shape for a particularuse, for I consider such Variations still within the scope of myinvention, which relates particularly to the manner of arranging thedarts or loops in connection with the body of the bandage and the doublewelt.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to protectby Letters Patent of the United States, isH

1. A bandage or supporter, comprising a main portion of knitted fabricelastic in two directions, said bandage being increased inwidth at itscentral portion by doublecourses or darts gradually diminishing inlength.

2. A bandage or supporter, comprising a main portion of knitted fabricelastic in two directions, said bandage being increased in width at itscentral portion by double courses or darts gradually diminishing inlength, and elastic only longitudinally of the bandage.

3. A bandage or supporter, comprising a main portion of knitted fabricconsisting of parallel courses which provide elasticity bothlongitudinally and transversely of the length of the fabric, saidbandage being increased in width at its central portion by doublecourses or darts gradually diminishing in length, and elastic onlylongitudinally of the bandage.

4. A bandage or supporter, comprising a main portion of knitted fabricelastic in two directions, said bandage being increased in width at itscentral portionv by courses or darts gradually diminishing in length,the lower edge of said portions being provided with a welt of lesselasticity and greater strength.

5. A bandage or supporter,'comprising a main portion of knitted fabricelastic in two directions,y said bandage being increased in` width atits central portion by double courses or darts gradually diminishing inlength, and elastic only longitudinally of the bandage, the lower edgeof said portions being provided with a double welt of the same'character of stitches as that composing the widened por-` beingincreased in width by double courses or darts, a thickened welt for theedge of the bandage, the darts or ends of the courses being arrangedadjacent the edge of said thickened welt. i

7 A bandage or supporter, comprising a main portion of knitted fabric,said bandage being increased in width at its central portion by doublecourses or darts of the material gradually diminishing in length, andadoublewelt attached to said widened portion and to said main portion,the ends of said courses or said dartsbeing arranged adjacent the inneredge of said welt so that said darts are relieved of pressure.

8. A bandage or supporter, comprislng a IOO IIO

main portion of knitted fabricelastic in two directions, said bandagebeing increased at its In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my handthis 10th day of October, A. D. 1904;.

VRlGHT R. OARTLEDGE.

Witnesses:

LEWIS H. VAN DUSEN, EDW. W. VAILL, Jr.

